Sexy like Shashi

My social media timeline has not looked as good in a while. And for a heartbreaking reason. The demise of Shashi Kapoor seems to have touched a chord in our collective hearts that we have forgotten all about. The tributes that poured in were all about his charm, his charisma, his sophistication and a rare kind of sex appeal. The sex appeal that leaves much more to the imagination than the obvious, in-your-face. The appeal of a lop-sided smile, of a mischievous lock of hair, twinkling eyes and the shadow of a dimple. And the savoir faire that put women in a swoon.

This year alone, we lost two of our most charming, attractive stars – Vinod Khanna and Shashi Kapoor. Not alike. Not dissimilar either. Both men oozed an easy charm, a sensuousness that was inborn, rather than cultivated. The ability to draw you to their arms, without even lifting a finger.

We were lucky perhaps, to grow up at a time when men did not have to try to hard to come onto their own. They were not manufactured over a shiny table top in an Bandra or Versova coffee shop. They did not have to make a statement to stand out. They were the statement.

Compare it to the men who prefer to wear a yellow-and-pink floral printed suit to a formal dinner, or pull down their yellow shorts to reveal a bum crack, share Instagram pics of their fresh-off-the-gym torso. You know, every little tattoo on their body, the mole on their back, their favourite brand of sneakers and their obsession with man buns. There is no nuance. There is nothing left to imagination. No mystique. Just a lot of muscle.

Look at the irony here.

The so-called conservative, somewhat private stars and sex symbols seemed to have more freedom than the liberal new gen. Think about it... Simi Garewal went nude for Siddhartha, starring Kapoor. She is now busy negotiating some sort of a truce between the offended royals and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, over Padmavati’s legendary piety.

The same heartthrob, could not take his eyes off a smouldering Zeenat Aman in a sheer wet saree, pouring water over a Hindu deity in the hit Satyam Shivam Sundaram. I am not even sure if any director could dream up such a culturally loaded scene today.

And Sharmila Tagore, whose son and daughter-in-law get routinely trolled for their liberal and sometimes radical views, was romancing leading stars in a red towel and bikini much after she had chosen to get married to a Muslim, former nawab.

That was way sexier than the Instagram PDA on display by the reigning heart throbs. Or the ‘Vacay Goals’ and ‘Relationship Goals’ and ‘Wedding Goals’ set by celebrities who believe their appeal is best captured by a filter on their smart phones.

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